1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #63. The Byrds - Fifth Dimension (1966)

The Byrds - Fifth Dimension (1966)

Label – Columbia
Producer – Jim Dickson and Allen Stanton
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality -USA
Running Time – 29:25

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. 5D Fifth Dimension
2. Wild Mountain Thyme
3. Mr Spaceman
4. I See You
5. What's Happening
6. I Come And Stand At Every Door
7. Eight Miles High
8. Hey Joe (Where You Gonna Go)
9. Captain Soul
10. John Riley
11. 242 Foxtrot (The Lear Jet Song)

This is a pretty uneven work by the Bryds, but on ‘Fifth Dimension’ its high points were as innovative as any other music being recorded in 1966. Yes, the arrangements still lean toward folk-rock, but they were branching out with this release. There are still some cover tracks, "Wild Mountain Thyme" and "John Riley" but there are – for the first time - no songs by Bob Dylan, whose songs had, along with Gene Clark’s songs, dominated earlier Byrds releases. Gene Clark had left the band by the time this album was released, but it’s still the original compositions here that are the real treat even though rest of the band scrambled to compensate for the loss of their main songwriter. (it is interestingly, however that this album contained fewer covers than either of their Clark-era albums did). With no Dylan covers and no Clark contributions beyond "Eight Miles High," Roger McGuinn and David Crosby stepped into the songwriting roles.
For the originals, they devised some of the first and best psychedelic rock, often drawing from the influence of Indian raga in the guitar arrangements. "Eight Miles High," with its out of this world lyrics, pumping bassline, and fractured guitar solo, was a Top 20 hit, and is truly one of the greatest singles of the '60s. They scored a minor hit with the title track and the country-rock-tinged "Mr. Spaceman" are among the best songs on the record. Also check out "I See You" which has a great 12-string psychedelic guitar solo.
On the downside the cover of "Hey Joe" (yes the Jimi Hendrix track) is just downright awful. There is another clunker called "What's Happening". These weak spots keep ‘Fifth Dimension’ from attaining truly classic status. It is very enjoyable listening, just an uneven one.
The album stayed on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart for 28 weeks, peaking at #24; it also reached #27 in the UK. The single "Eight Miles High," peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two additional singles pulled from the album, "5D (Fifth Dimension)" and "Mr. Spaceman," peaked at #44 and #36 respectively.
It is recommended.


You can purchase the CD here.

ABSOLUTE ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR FEBRUARY 13
Peter Tork from The Monkees is 67; Peter Gabriel is 59; Ed Gagliardi, formerly with Foreigner, is 57; Henry Rollins is 48; Todd Harrell from 3 Doors Down is 37;

ON THIS DATE
1955 Elvis Presley performs in Lubbock, Texas. Buddy and Bob open for Elvis. The Buddy is, yes, you guessed it, none other than Buddy Holly himself.
1970 Black Sabbath release the debut album Black Sabbath
1972 Government officials in Singapore refuse to let Led Zeppelin off of their plane simply because their hair was to long
2005 The Grammy Hall Of Fame inducts Let It Bleed by the Rolling Stones.

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